As awareness-raising remains one of its effective weapons to sustain assault on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sensitized residents of Makama community in Shebora chiefdom and Sawulia community in Gbanti chiefdom, Bombali district. The two engagements took place on 30 July and 1 August 2024 respectively, to empower them to discount and report corruption at the slightest opportunity.
Delivering the thrust of the anti-corruption messages at the meetings, Senior Public Education Officer, Abdul Karim Bangura, described corruption as the abuse of trusted position or office for an advantage, personal or otherwise. He explained that at the heart of an act of corruption is a glaring distortion of public interest and safety, which can deeply negatively impact government’s development agenda, donor and investor trust.
Mr. Bangura underlined the grim impact of corruption on the country citing the devastating 11-year war and pointing out that no one is immune to the consequences of public sector theft. He added that since corruption affects everyone, everyone should take a civic responsibility and fully support the Commission in its relentless stride to prevent, investigate, and prosecute corruption for the benefit of all citizens regardless of political, tribal, regional background, and economic status. “No one should therefore decide to lag behind in or be indifferent to the patriotic campaign against corruption,” he said.
According to the anti-graft officer, incidences of corruption are widespread, including in rural communities. He made plain that projects undertaken by District Councils and the presence of public bodies such as schools and health centres show that anti-corruption consciousness is as important in the rural setting as in the urban. At this juncture, he named extortion by local courts and schools, and sales of bail and free medical care medications as examples of acts of corruption common in rural communities. He called corruption despicable and the main cause of the country’s lack of development since independence in April 1961.
Senior Public Education Officer, Aiah Sourie, said that the ACC’s vigorous campaign against corruption and the corrupt has not waned. He said there are stiffer penalties, including a minimum five-year prison term and a minimum NLe 50,000 fine for a single count of corruption offence upon conviction. He therefore encouraged local stakeholders in both communities to own and lead the fight against corruption at all times. “Once you as leaders set the right examples by upholding integrity in your various capacities, the rest of the community is much likely to follow suit,” he said.
Reporting corruption is an important aspect of the ACC’s campaign messages. As such, Ibrahim Bangura, Legal Clerk, in his contribution, called on his audiences to bravely and sincerely report corruption using the toll-free lines 077985985/077986986. He stressed that reporting corruption leads to thorough investigations and subsequent prosecution, and indicates communal interest and action in combating the scourge, which is a common foe. He warned against trivializing the Commission’s reporting mechanism by concocting claims just in an attempt to vilify the image of innocent people. “I should let you know that such an act wastes the Commission’s valuable time and creates tension in the community. It is important that we fight against corruption with integrity,” he noted.
The legal clerk also called members of the communities to support the ACC in monitoring the implementation of the Productive Social Safety Nets and Youth Employment project. Funded by the World Bank, UNICEF, and the GoSL with funds of USD 42 Million, the project is designed to assuage the condition of the poorest of the poor mostly found in rural communities and empower youth through support to grow their entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance, among other things. He underscored the Commission’s role in the five-year project through its Grievance Redress Mechanism, which is aimed at identifying, receiving, and responding to complaints from beneficiaries and the public at large. “I urge you to support the ACC monitor the project by reporting irregularities you notice in the project.”
In response to the integrity messages delivered, the chiefs of the communities thanked the ACC for the engagements and for its tough stance on ridding the country of corruption. Chief Kapr Kargbo of Sawulia confessed he was personally impressed by the friendly approach of the officers from the Commission’s northern regional office in Makeni. According to him, the knowledge gained at the meeting clearly shows that the Commission, in its campaign, is by no means picking on any person or institution. “The ACC is working in the interest of all Sierra Leoneans. I’m sure that things will get better for us all as citizens of this great country. And we are henceforth determined to report corruption at the slightest opportunity,” he concluded.
